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Author Topic: New here.. Hello from Ireland :)  (Read 1151 times)

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Messi

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New here.. Hello from Ireland :)
« on: January 19, 2015, 05:50:05 PM »
Just want to properly introduce myself :)

I posted early as I'm having a few issues with my Chin Chin Messi ... I think she may be improving :) unfortunately where I live in Ireland there aren't many vets used to seeing Chinchillas .. The closest vet that has knowlege on them is over an hour away and poor Messi just wouldn't be fit for that kind of trip. The vet I do have is a very caring and kind one and he try's his very best...

So Messi is 10 years plus ... We aren't exactly sure of her age because when we rescued her she was full matured and unbeknown to use pregnant at the time too.  Unfortunately she lost her pups but we have had her 8 years now and she loves spending time with the cats :)

Messi is a Wilson Chinchilla and in all my years I've never seen another one but I'm sure there are a few in Ireland .. Grey / violet chinchillas are all I've ever seen but I did once fun a black chinchilla and we though Messi would live the company.. Big mistake she almost killed the poor thing :( he was ok but we had to return him the the breeder straight away..

I rescue disabled cats so Messi always has company although we can't leave her out with them anymore as Messi plays to rough :) she does spend time with them safely in here cage or behind end the screened door..

Just wondering who else has a Wilson and how old is the oldest chinchilla belonged to a member ...

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GrayRodent

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    • Chris Hamilton
Re: New here.. Hello from Ireland :)
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2015, 06:16:39 PM »
The only chins I've ever had were a standard grey that I euthanized a couple years ago because of malocclusion, and my current chin Kulu. I didn't think he was really worth saving because he was a rescue, didn't particularly like people, and was in very poor health. Then I got one from a breeder at 4 months and the difference was like night and day. He's sitting on my arm as I'm typing right now.
I really wish there were more chinchilla ranches around where I live but it is in a subtropical climate (Southern US) so I really haven't seen a lot of chins up close. Being on the board I have a lot of online experience though. Of course on the boards you usually get the worst case scenarios that come in out of the thousands of pets out there. I think the average life expectancy on our boards is about 2-3 years, and 10 years for owners who know how to properly care for a chin.

I've heard of a chinchilla that lived to be 23 years old on the board and had top notch bloodlines. That's the oldest I can remember, but I know others have lived to be around 27. Those ages are very advanced. Most pets don't live to be much passed 10 years but there are the occasional ones that just keep going. So I think there is hope, at least some, considering the circumstances.

Another thing to note is that chinchillas must be introduced gradually and cannot just be put in with another animal or there will almost always be a fight and sometimes it's fatal. You might know that but I just want to re-iterate that here.

The wilson white is also called a pink-white. Generally there is no pigment on the fur or the skin in the purest form and there are no black spots on the fur. They are typically smaller than a standard grey and care should be taken to not breed one to a chinchilla larger than itself otherwise the kits grow to be too large and can cannot pass safely through the birth canal. So who else has a chinchilla like this?
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I'm a programmer not a chinchilla breeder. I learn by asking questions just like you.

Messi

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Re: New here.. Hello from Ireland :)
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2015, 02:05:57 PM »
Thanks for your reply :)

Unfortunately we didn't know about the gradual introductions when we adopted the black chin .. We always knew Messi to take to the kittens immoderately so never thought there would have been a problem.. I think she just likes her own company and the distraction of the cats nowadays.. Someday a she wants us to hold we and other she'll bark at us to leave her in peace. He has a large multi level cage but we leave it open 24/7 for her she has a whole room to herself to run aroun in whenever she pleases..
 
We do hope we have a few more years yet with her but after her scare with the General anesthic (it took her 12 hours to come around from the GA !) last Friday we will never put her through that again. So we pray she'll stay healthy for a long time yet. She sea to be improving and we stopped the syringe feeds a few days ago and she is passing stool samples and her food bowl has been disturbed several times a day over the last 2 days now so I think she's on the mend. I'm just cautious I don't want to be over optomistic just yet.
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